Crisp green roasted wood-fired asparagus

Christmas day had been a very full day. I wasn’t sure I wanted to cook an evening meal in the wood-fired oven or just hit the sofa.  After a large breakfast, lunch with extended family, the occasional bites of date bars and chocolate throughout the day, did any of us need dinner at all?

As it turned out cooking outside in the cool air was an invigorating and satisfying way to enjoy the evening and, as it turned out, for everyone at the table. It was actually an ideal time to get away from the “lazy warm inside air”.  I had picked up a number of fresh vegetables the day before which included carrots, asparagus, portobellos, red, yellow and orange peppers. I had planned for a lighter evening fare after heavier meals throughout the day. I didn’t get back to the crowded holiday lines to pick up the fish I considered, (and I love fish), but our house includes vegetarians and vegans as well as meat eaters,  so knowing how incredibly delicious wood-fired vegetables  are  I knew we’d be just fine especially if we included some Kalamata olive wood-fired hearth bread from the day before, some fine wine or other drink of choice. It all made for a great finish for the day.

Kalamata Olive hearth bread

We fired up the oven, tending it off and on for a little more than forty-five minutes which is typical for our Forno Bravo Casa2G90. The temperature outside was in the 30′s, the oven coals somewhere over 1000 degrees, the dome creating the perfect convection experience – all ready to sear in the flavors like no other cooking method.  I prepared a couple of platters of vegetables (which took all of ten minutes- rinse vegetables, drizzle with oils, herbs, etc…, arranging and considering the grilling order and placement  in the oven). The carrots were set to one side of the oven ahead of the rest of the vegetables allowing for the most generous amount of grilling time. I have read that cast iron may cook too hot in a wood-fired oven- but I believe it is more a case of knowing your oven and what you are cooking.Setting the heavy pan to the side of the fire works great for carrots. Want more heat? Move the pan closer to the fire. Want less? just pull it away, stirring on occasion, but not too often as its the caramelized skins that are delicious. Next, the portobellos were placed on the grill and then the peppers, checking up on them from time to time, giving the  peppers a turn,  evening out the coals beneath until all were roasted and just beginning to ooze their delicious juices.

Wood-fired vegetables ready for serving.

Vegetables don’t take that long,so they want your undivided attention at this point. No problem. I was glad to be outside tending the beautiful red coals and watching the fire. The last vegetable  I placed in the oven was the asparagus which had been placed on a foil covered roasting tray and placed on the Toscana grill. Drizzled with olive oil, herbs, garlic, fresh lime juice,  combined with the perfect heat of the dome and coals beneath they provided the ultimate chorus and just listening to them sizzle was, well here…listen for yourself.

And they were absolutely delicious!  They were so good that I grilled a second batch after dinner to eat the next day.

For more information on grilling in your wood-fired ovens, give us a call at The ARCH at 828 253 5455

Ciabatta with Asiago and Feta

Shown here are a couple of Ciabatta loaves that Jim made that we thoroughly enjoyed alongside some Fire Roasted Tomato Soup that included roasted wood-fired tomatoes from our oven as well.

Close up of Delicious

We have a lot of respect for the many master bakers that surround us who truly understand the art and  science of creating beautiful and delicious bread. Cooking in our wood-fired Casa2G90 Forno Bravo oven has led us to seek out practical as well as artistic accessories for food preparation as well as cooking with the oven. You really do cook “with”a wood-fired oven as they have a lot to teach us. Wood-fired ovens offer a delightfully interactive experience.

Long handled tools a must

We started out with the much needed and necessary long handled Forno Bravo  tools, peels, pizza accessories,and  cast iron grill, yet we still have a wish list. The tools each oven owner needs all depend on how you cook and use your oven.  Give us a call at The ARCH 828 253 5455 if you would like some advice on what tools you need to get started with.

If I were camping for example, I can appreciate managing meals with a sparse supply , carving out “the forgotten spoon”, and all the improvising and creativity that goes with it, but when it comes to home, I admit  enjoying tools that make a task easier or have an artistic appeal. Some of our bread baking “improvised” props have been successful, but some have not worked out so well for us so we’ve decided to add A NEW COLLECTION OF ARTISAN BAKING ACCESSORIES  in our showroom The ARCH! 

Spiral Lines and artistic cuts on artisan bread

We’re  very excited to explore baking hearth breads with the artisan rustic spiral raised lines and interesting cuts. We now carry  Brotform proofing baskets, liners, baker’s couches, dough whisks and Bordelaise Lames.  All are professional grade and very well made.  Brotform baskets are handwoven bread molds made of cane, brotform, also known as brotformen or banneton. They are used to form and shape artisan loaves during the proofing and rising stage.

Results of a Brotform basket before baking

We’ll be adding to our inventory, but we’ve started out with  the following: 8″ round Brotform baskets, 13″ Brotform Baskets, 18″ Baguette Brotform baskets, liners if desired (an option for another great crust texture) to fit any of the baskets we’ve ordered, Baker’s couche precut at 24×35″, Danish dough whisks in 11.5 and 14″ lengths, and Mure-Peyrot Bordelaise Lames. We’ll share some of the results soon!

8" round Brotform

Liner for Brotform basket for desired texture

Bakers Precut Couche

18" Baguette Brotform with Liner

Here’s a helpful link to an article discussing in greater depth the use of Brotform proofing baskets.

Give us a call at The ARCH for accessories as well as the complete Forno Bravo line of ovens, outdoor fireplaces and installation service  at 828 253 5455

Hours T-F 9:30-5:30,Sat 10-3

Support Our Oceans

My end of summer reading included  a fascinating book by Ted Danson- Oceana. The format of the book is filled with facts and has an almost text book format. In fact, it would be a fantastic text book for high school or college students.  It is so full of critical and disturbing facts about our oceans that I  could not  put it down, but instead wanted to take notes and list all the highlights so I wouldn’t forget the astounding numbers and their daunting truths.

Bottom Trawling Has Devastating Consequences

Covering pollution to the devastating consequences of industrial trawling of our ocean floors,  this book is truly an eye-opener.  So what does this book have to do with Forno Bravo ovens and wood-fired cooking? Well, I set out to locate a sustainable fish recipe to post in our newsletter and it brought me back to all that Oceana supports in terms of sustainable fishing.

Vulnerable corals to carbonic acid

Our oceans are in trouble and our fish population is in trouble, so I wanted to spread the reminder that it is very important to support sustainable fish choices and to learn the facts, whether you are dining out or cooking seafood in your wood-fired oven.  Fish2fork is one organization that is devoted to reviewing restaurants and whether their seafood is sustainable.  The international organization Oceana has a broad agenda including keeping our oceans free of pollutants, protecting marine wildlife, preserving threatened marine places, promoting responsible fishing, combating effects of climate change on our oceans, and monitoring irresponsible fishing and more. I highly recommend getting acquainted with their website.  Here is a handy seafood guide that they provide that is helpful (and can fit in your wallet) as you select your groceries and dine out.

Getting back to locating a sustainable fish recipe, I looked further into a great local source in our Western North Carolina mountains  and was reminded of a well respected source: Sunburst Trout Farm.  I am very impressed by their practices and excited to try their recipes in our wood-fired oven.

Fresh Fresh Fresh Sustainably Harvested Rainbow Trout

Sunburst Trout Farm raises their fish with no pesticides, no animal by-products, no growth hormones and the use of cool mountain waters results in a very fresh trout with a healthy high content of Omega-3 fatty acid.  I included a favorite recipe of theirs  in The ARCH October Newsletter for Rainbow Trout and it looks delicious.  We’d love to get your feedback on this recipe and other sustainably harvested fish recipes.

Commitment to Donate to Oceana

The ARCH offers sustainable flooring and finishes, and  will contribute a DONATION from all Forno Bravo oven sales through The ARCH to Oceana whose mission is to protect our oceans.  Forno Bravo has also agreed to match The ARCH contributions!  Forno Bravo owner, James Bairey  liked the idea and has been a 20+ year member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Monterey Bay Aquarium makes recommendations for healthy seafood choices through their Seafood Watch Program as is noted on the above seafood guide.

More sustainable seafood recipes from Oceana’s website.

More on Ted Danson’s book Oceana

Forno Bravo’s Community Cookbook: Rainbow Trout Recipe

Support sustainable fishing practices and spread the word!

Beautiful and contemporary Bamboo Engineered  Silver Lining and Escape  are  perfect for those looking for that slightly subdued bamboo texture with either a cast of  Silver Brown/Gray or  a distant wheat field under their feet. They are not strong  colors nor are the patterns overwhelming, but instead will blend with many color schemes.  The strands of bamboo are seriously compressed  into long blocks using a “cold press” method for optimum stability . “The unique engineered construction provides the most stable platform in the industry while maintaining the status of a completely renewable resource since each layer is composed of 100% Moso bamboo”. All Eco Timber flooring is free from added urea-formaldehyde and other harmful VOC’s and contribute to LEED points.

For more information on specifications of these products:

Silver Lining

Escape

EcoTimber Woven Engineered Bamboo- Silver Lining

Designers have taken an interest in the soft tones of these two new products. There are a number of dyed bamboo floors on the market that are so busy that  they are not of interest for the larger living areas.  Silver Lining and Escape are two selections that work beautifully with so many settings. Drop by The ARCH to see the larger 17″x17″ samples.

Remember- The ARCH can have an order drop shipped anywhere. Give us a call 828 253 5455

Wood-Roasted Salmon

Usually I grill salmon on a cast iron grill positioned over hot coals in our wood-fired oven which is always delicious, but the following Wood-Roasted salmon cooked by means of direct or indirect heat in our Forno Bravo Casa2G90 wood-fired oven resulted in a wonderfully moist and flavorful salmon.

We fired up our oven using dry hard woods about an hour prior to baking to give the oven a little extra heat retention. The Casa2G90 oven has a 36″ diameter oven floor so keep in mind that each oven is different in size and mass and may require  different amounts of time to maintain the desired temperatures and results. One simply has to get to know their own oven and pay close attention to temperatures. 

Comparison Chart of the Casa Series. Ask us about other models as well.

Ingredients:

36 ounces of salmon fillets

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green celery leaves (the younger leaves are best)

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1/2 cup salted capers (rinsed under running water and then soaked in bowl of cold water for 30 minutes)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 3 lemons

1 lemon sliced

Original recipe:  Place the salmon on an oven platter or shallow baking dish.  I used an aluminum heavy platter. Spoon 1/3 of the olive and herb mixture over the fish. Add lemon juice to the olive and herb mixture and set aside. You can bake the salmon with direct heat (in an oven where the fire has been moved to one side) or indirect heat (where the embers and fire have been removed). Bake the salmon in a 450 degree F oven around 10  minutes, longer if the fillets are very thick or if the oven isn’t holding as much heat.

Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter. Add the remaining olive mixture to the baking dish and put the dish back into the oven for about 1-2 minutes to combine with the fish juices.

Pour the olive sauce over the salmon, sprinkle the rest of the parsley on top, and serve with a slice of lemon.

Excellent article from “The World’s Healthiest Foods” non-profit organization:  Is There Any Nutritional Difference Between Wild-Caught and Farm-Raised Fish? Is One Type Better For Me Than Another?

Gradation of 1x1 inch mosaic tiles

If you like the idea of a tile gradation as shown here, it is not so difficult to do, you simply remove a few blue glass squares from the sheets of tiles gradually removing more and more blues as they blend into all whites.  The sky’s the limit on what can be done with a gradation.

Imagine this  bathroom below with a solid white flat painted wall before the “shimmerfly” glass tiles were added. The tiles add so much to an otherwise plain space.

Tiles come in matte, to shimmery shiny

Mosaic tile come on 12″x12″ sheets for the most part.   There are  many mosaic sizes to consider: 1×1 inch, 2×2 inch, 1×4 inch, 1×6 inch, 1/2 x 1/2 inch, square, round, and ovals. Surfaces include: shiny, opaque, textured, reflective, matte, clear, and more.

Shimmery subtle tiles. Also available are complimentary switchplates that don't distract like the plain white on your new investment.

Handmade glass knobs add a great complimentary accessory to glass tile installations.

Handmade glass knobs with mosaic tile accents.

Great accent knobs for cabinets, closet doors, dressers, tie backs.

Nice touch!

Glass tiles can also  be blended with clay tiles as well if you have a beautiful piece you want to stand out. I recommend you play with the pieces until you see something you like.  Also available are river stone  sheets that you can manipulate in a number of ways.

River stone comes on sheets. We'll remove stones and replace with beautiful medallions, swirls, and other metallic glazed tiles.

template to play with arrangements of tile and river stone mosaic

I created a  cardboard arch template to fit the oven arch and laid out some ideas. I’ll share the final result when

complete.

Design services available for tile layouts and wood-fired oven designs.  Just give The ARCH a call at 828 253 5455 or visit www.thearchnc.com

Oven arch will include swirls and medallions placed within gray river stone.

Arlington VA Clay application by Roxanne. A welcoming American Clay finish provides benefits for humidity control or "buffering".

From personal experience we have lived with clay plaster in our own home and have experience with a broad variety of applications and placement of clay.  We have American Clay plaster in a kitchen/dining area, sun room, bedroom and in two bathrooms.  We’ve enjoyed the benefits the clay provides in every space and have witnessed, felt, and breathed in it’s  ability to absorb  and release water vapor when high levels of humidity are present without a spec of mildew appearing anywhere -EVER! What might seem to be a vulnerable location is where we applied clay along the top 18″ above the tiled walls in two shower areas but absolutely no problems have resulted- instead it benefits these areas.  In contrast,  if a  painted wall experiences high levels of humidity such as in a bathroom the surface will eventually develop condensation from water vapor creating an environment favorable for mold and mildew growth.  Another more extreme experience that we had was with several large3′x6′ foot display panels we made and applied with clay plaster for an expo.  After a three day event we drove home and with the onset of a rain storm we rushed the panels into our (less than perfect) garage several years ago.  We had an unfortunate heavy rain that evening that ultimately flowed into the area where these panels were situated.The panels were trimmed  with wood for presentation purposes. After about a week we noticed a mold made its way up the wood strips  but did not touch the clay. Not a spec!  The mildew completely avoided the clay.  If ever conditions were ripe for mildew this was it.  We cleaned up the wood and put them in dry storage and years later they still have no mold on them. (I wish I had taken a photo).    The following diagrams portray how American Clay provides humidity buffering in your home or business.  (Click on diagrams to enlarge text).

Powder Room at CIEL with American Clay, Porcelina, Chesapeake Bay, Designer Talli Roberts

As noted in this last image, the more clay there is in a given space the greater the humidity buffering. We called a few customers that have applied the clay in wine cellars  as this is an excellent application choice to assist in maintaining a consistent humidity so critical in a wine cellar.

Beautiful wine cellar with American Clay walls

In reading about climate control in wine cellars, efforts must be made to maintain a certain temperature as well as humidity level.

Hey, where's the wine? Jim- applied clay in wine cellar in CIEL residence

If the humidity rises above 70% I have read that this is when the potential for mildew on the corks can develop which may create a problem for the wine.

Prevent mold on corks with proper humidity control

There are several benefits when using the American Clay plaster- it assists in maintaining consistent humidity levels, assists in preventing mold and mildew, helps purify the air which is also important, and it is beautiful!  We asked several customers how their wine cellars are doing after the applying the clay years earlier.

One of our customers shared that he has had no problems and added that he also selected the clay for the old world look. Shown here are two other wine cellars.  Most of the wine cellars include applications on the ceiling contributing to humidity buffering benefits.

Mica Village open-air lobby with American Clay. A welcoming finish for a welcoming lobby

Lastly, I  have shared this open-air  lobby area before, but is a true testament that the humidity does not bother it. The benefits of American Clay go well beyond those mentioned here; in fact they are nothing short of amazing!

Give us a call anytime to discuss your project.

Interesting article: The 10 Most Common Wine Cellar Problems and How to Overcome Them

Click here for a  humidity demonstration done by American Clay.

We started the session at sundown and lit the fire in the oven so that everyone could see that, indeed, the Forno Bravo ovens do heat up to over 700 degrees in less than an hour. We had a mistaken piece of pine in the oven to start with, so we all noted that you do not burn pine as the black smoke will quickly make it’s presence known. After a few minutes, we had a clean fire and we continued burning clean assorted hardwoods- mostly oak, but some apple and cherry as well.  As the fire was occasionally stoked, we proceeded to the kitchen to involve everyone with hands-on experience creating pies with the dough made from scratch the previous day.  Handling the dough takes a little getting used to and is a lesson in itself, but we all created some pretty nice pies with assorted toppings.

It came naturally to Jeff

Jeff and Kim brought a few toppings of their own including a fine Italian sausage as well as Mozzarella di Bufala. We prepared several pies  maintaining a good sense of humor as several “lessons” were noted.  Seen here is Jeff Grimm who was immediately proficient handling the dough.  Jeff has many years of culinary experience including some time spent working with Peter Reinhart making pizzas so we were thrilled to watch him handle the dough with such familiarity.  With a little semolina flour on each peel, we didn’t have a single “accidental Calzone”- all the pies slid into the oven with success!

Jeff had this to say: “The Forno Bravo ovens are easy to use, I had it figured out by my second pizza. I am looking forward to roasting meats and vegetables, in addition to great Neopolitan pizzas”!

Jeff and Kim

The fire continue to burn strong and all the pizzas were delicious. My first attempt at the thin sliced lemon dessert pizza also came through with success.

Thin sliced lemon dessert pizza

I have since tried another but this time I  zested the outer rind just a bit before slicing the lemons. Copious amounts of powdered sugar must be sprinkled on unless you like your lemons sour! 

Zest the lemon but leave some of the rind, then slice thin

Another guest – Nancy has an interest in a community oven for a very innovative cabin development she is developing. Nancy has a terrific idea and excellent placement in mind for an oven between the cabins and the community center for guests to look forward to experiencing. This idea could blossom into a huge guest list over time. From cabin guests to guest chefs,  she has something that is sure to be a big draw. Nancy and her friend Joan were struck by the variety of flavors- and this was just an evening of pizza!

Giving that pie a spin. shown here in a Forno Bravo Casa 2G90 36" floor diameter

Grilling and baking may be included in future demonstrations, but for now seeing the oven in operation and getting involved is a great starting point and experience.

Kim shared the following:  “I didn’t realize how versatile a wood burning oven could be. I originally thought it was just for pizzas!”

The evening was a blast and we look forward to scheduling another oven demo this Fall.  If you have an interest please give us a call at The ARCH 828 253 5455.  Interests are reserved primarily for those interested in considering an oven purchase.

Here are a few more images of another round of pizzas enjoyed more recently – this time with my visiting niece and nephew and brother:

Alex and Tom topping a pie with fresh pesto

Waiting in line

Caramelized onion, mozzarella and Asiago, pine nuts

Lauren created this one

Detail of Mushroom Gorgonzola and walnut pizza

Alex removed another great pie

A great lineup

The cat sat here for the next three days pretty much.

"Islands of Ciabatta" baking! The front loaf has Kalamata Olives and fresh snipped rosemary

There are few things more satisfying in life than a fine loaf of bread.  We’re surrounded by talented bakers in the area  yet our own introduction to bread making using our Forno Bravo wood-fired oven  has made us a little giddy knowing we’ve created our most flavorful bread yet! It’s amazing!

Not everyone owning a wood-fired oven will focus on all the different food categories. We have customers interested in primarily pizzas, others in baking, and those that favor grilling meats, fish and vegetables. From professionals to  young children, there is room for everyone to enjoy a Forno Bravo wood- fired oven.  Here are a handful of recent endeavors that show how success can be easy!  We’ve had our oven less than a year and the bread making efforts have yielded primarily larger loaves. All delicious, but this time Jim set out to work with the Ciabatta recipe that can be downloaded on Forno Bravo’s online store.  (see below). The first batch had a great flavor, but was too flat, but the oven was hotter so we had a great crust. Lessons noted.

Baked on Parchment paper trimmed around loaves

The second batch was more carefully tended to.

Assembly line ready to bake

The dough was handled more carefully, we cut  the parchment paper close to the loaves before baking as recommended, the shapes were formed to be narrower and a little more “column like”, the oven was properly misted.We followed the instructions better!

The result was great overall, but we should have had the oven up 75-100 degrees for a heartier crust.   Our third attempt may just combine the best of both experiences!

During our recent oven demo at our home with guests and after a number of very fine pizzas, we made a sliced lemon dessert pizza that I found online. I’d credit the source but I can’t locate it. The recipe was simple: Prepare a thin crust pizza, top with very thin sliced uncooked, seeded lemons, bake in the wood-fired oven. Remove from the oven. Top with dabs of butter  and return to the oven so the butter bakes in.

Delicious lemon sliced dessert pizza

Remove from the oven and top with copious amounts of powdered sugar. A very light and refreshing finish.  If the skins of the lemons seem a little strong, remove some of the outer rind layer but leave some of the rind as  it will not be too bitter as long as the slices are very thinly sliced.

You can also dry fruit and vegetables in an oven as it is cooling down days later.

Assorted summer tomatoes ready to dry in oven. Mostly Roma and San Marzano are best

Shown here are thin sliced tomatoes that we placed on a lightly oiled baking sheet and placed in an oven around 175 degrees. The oven maintains it’s temperature so well that you don’t have to worry about it cooling down. It’s free heat so use it! Drying tomatoes should be done slowly so they took a few hours. With a spatula I removed the “oven-dried tomatoes” and put them in a freezer bag for future pizza use.  (Forgot to photograph). Drying bananas is another great use of your oven.  The best dried bananas can actually bend unlike those horrible “banana chips” you may find from time to time in a trail mix.  Another sweet and simple treat.

Forno Bravo e-book cover with Ciabatta recipe

Ciabatta recipe can be found on www.fornobravo.com. Select  Forno Bravo Store from left column. Select e Books and CD Roms near the bottom of the list. Select the Wood Fired  Bread eBook. Download it. Locate the Ciabatta Recipe.Here is the cover of the ebook.

Everything Looks so much better with a maintained, nicely finished deck

It’s funny how  every time you have a new product or personal interest, you start noticing that very product seemingly everywhere. You know the feeling; if you’re shopping for cars, you’ll start seeing the same model everywhere and certainly the blue ones. Whether you’re shopping for a new roof, in the market for a bike, or you’re looking at what color to re-finish something, you selectively notice just these objects, colors, and styles everywhere you look.

Deck Cleaning Services available at The ARCH

Well, it has been this way with decks and other outdoor wood surfaces for The ARCH.  It’s seems that we want to breathe new life into old, cracking, (deteriorating in many cases)  wood surfaces. They seem to be everywhere!

What a difference just cleaning it makes. Next comes the finish

So much wood out there is  thirsty for both attention and a new finish! Give the wood a drink I say!

Before cleaning! Dirty and slippery with mildew

One of my daughters  was visiting Asheville this weekend looking at houses to rent and several places we looked at seem to keep up the interiors, but many of the exteriors and decks needed a great deal of attention.

Investing in maintenance and finishes is important. The deck and all that surrounds the house definitely influences the person looking for a new place.

Finish helps protect feet as well as the wood

In need of Vermont Natural Poly Whey exterior finish

If the wood is maintained the renter or seller may actually make the sale, children may not need shoes every time they walk across a sorry-looking deck, years could be added to the life of a house  exterior, and, if someone would only notice,the garden bench might actually make it another decade.

Autumn Red Exterior Finish

Vermont Natural Coatings not only provides protection, durability, and beauty, but it’s healthy, non-toxic and so easy to apply.

Healthy finish required for Health Food bins

Hopefully, I’ll start noticing the details of islands and the varying shades of blue in the ocean!

For more information about Vermont Natural Coatings exterior, flooring and furniture finishes click here.

New Exterior color

New color just in! Exterior Finish Barn Red

All Vermont Natural Coatings products are available at The ARCH.  We also offer deck cleaning service.Free estimates in the Asheville area.